What is Beef Wellington?
You can almost hear Gordon Ramsay in the back of your mind when you’re putting one of his most well-known recipes, Beef Wellington, together. Of course, he didn’t invent the dish. According to his website, Beef Wellington was originally made in 1815 celebrating the Duke of Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo. This 200-year-old recipe is actually fairly easy to put together. I can understand why Ramsay gets upset when it’s not made well by the television show contestants. The prep time on this easy Beef Wellington recipe is just around 25-30 minutes! Then the rest of the time is spent either chilling in the fridge or roasting in the oven. I know, just 30 minutes of actual work for something that seems so fancy is not unreasonable at all! I love recipes like this! We love perfectly cooked medium-rare beef recipes for special occasions and weekend dinners! Our Garlic Herb Butter Beef Tenderloin Roast is a well-loved reader favorite. Or for something a little different, try our Garlic & Herb Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb, which is always a crowd-pleaser! There are 4 layers to Beef Wellington:
The beef tenderloin which is seasoned and seared to perfection to retain its juiciness; The duxelles, which is a buttery mushroom paste with onions and thyme; The third layer, prosciutto, gets wrapped over the first 2 layers to keep it all together as well as adding extra flavor and retaining moisture; And finally, everything gets enveloped in a golden, flaky puff pastry layer. Is that my favorite layer? It’s so hard to choose – they all taste amazing, and together this dish is rightfully a show stopper!
Beef Wellington is one of those secretly quick and easy dishes that is perfect for holidays like Christmas and Easter, or even Sunday lunches, or anytime you have guests over. You can prep most of it the night before to save time, and then wrap it in puff pastry and bake it the next day before dinner. Kids and adults alike love this dish! Picky eaters don’t even realize there are mushrooms in it – our little secret! I have made this numerous times over the years and am sharing the tips and tricks I have picked up for getting this to turn out perfect the first time, and every time!
Best Beef Wellington ingredients
The list of ingredients isn’t all that long for any part of the recipe. With a wonderfully flavored cut of meat like beef tenderloin, you want the focus to be on the meat, rather than too much on any other part of the recipe, which is intended to compliment and showcase the tenderness of this premium cut.
BEEF
Beef tenderloin: This is the same thing as filet mignon, except in one long roast. It’s supremely tender and buttery without marbling, but it requires some special care for it to turn out just right, which is why it works well in this preparation. My beef tenderloin weighed about 2-3 lbs. I trimmed off the silverskin and fat and tied it with butcher’s twine every inch or so to help keep the shape while it’s being seared. Salt and pepper: Seasoning with all beef, and especially at this stage is essential – we don’t want a bland beef wellington! Olive oil: Olive oil helps create a perfect sear on the beef tenderloin. Mustard: Just for a little extra flavor, I brushed the beef tenderloin with dijon mustard after searing while the meat is still warm, something I picked up from Mr. Ramsey himself years ago after watching him berate contestants on Masterchef for getting that step wrong or omitting it entirely.
DUXELLES
Mushrooms: You can use many kinds: button, cremini, shiitake, portabello, or a mix of mushrooms. Again, they are chopped so fine and cooked to almost a paste that even the most ardent mushroom-haters don’t seem to realize what they are eating unless you tell them. But they add fantastic umami to the finished dish! Butter: Butter adds an amazing rich aroma, and also helps the duxelles become a little more spreadable. Herbs & flavor: I added shallots, garlic, and thyme leaves (about 6 sprigs) to the duxelles to really make the flavor pop, along with some salt and pepper to balance it perfectly.
ASSEMBLY
Prosciutto: I used about ¼ pound of prosciutto. This close cousin of bacon helps to hold the mushroom layer to the beef tenderloin so it doesn’t all fall apart. Puff pastry: The tenderloin, duxelles, and prosciutto is wrapped in flaky puff pastry. It’s so delicious! I’ve always been tempted to make my own, but so far I just rely on good old Pepperidge Farms from the freezer aisle. Egg: I brushed an egg wash over the puff pastry so it turned beautifully golden. It also helps with sealing the beef wellington after you roll it up! Garnishes: Just a couple to round off this dish! I sprinkled flaky (or coarse) sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel, over the beef wellington along with chives before serving,
How to Make Beef Wellington
Anybody can make Beef Wellington. Seriously. It’s one of those dishes that people are intimidated and impressed by, but only uses basic cooking skills like searing and sauteeing (which I will explain just in case you are still feeling daunted!).
PREPARE THE TENDERLOIN.
- Brush with mustard. Next, remove the seared tenderloin from the pan and cut off the twine. Brush it on all sides with the dijon mustard while the meat is still warm. Set aside.
MAKE THE DUXELLES.
- Melt butter. After that, in the same pan used to sear the tenderloin, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until melted.3. Cook the duxelles. Next, add the mushroom mixture to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, about 8-10 minutes. Continue to cook the mushroom mixture and 4-5 minutes to brown the mushrooms. Remove from the heat and let cool.
ASSEMBLE THE BEEF WELLINGTON.
Recipe for Beef Wellington make ahead and storage
Can you store Beef Wellington in the fridge?
Store the cooked dish in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating. To reheat, I place the Beef Wellington in the oven at 350°F until it’s heated though. You may want to cover it in aluminum foil if the pastry starts to brown too much.
Can I make Wellington beef ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare the beef and duxelles, and follow the recipe right up until it’s time to add the puff pastry layer. Instead of adding the puff pastry (which may get soggy if you add it now) wrap the beef, duxelles, and prosciutto up in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge after cooling for up to 24 hours. The next day, continue the recipe by rolling out the puff pastry, wrapping up the beef, and baking the Beef Wellington.
What to serve with Beef Wellington
This Beef Wellington is the star of the table! This dish can be saved for special occasions and holidays or served on the weekend at family dinners so the sky’s the limit for good sides to pair with the Beef Wellington. We love Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, mashed potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes (Au Gratin Potatoes), Easy Rice Pilaf with Orzo Pasta, Caesar Salad, Oven Roasted Broccoli, Twice Baked Potatoes, French Green Beans, or even Creamy Potluck Potatoes. So many good options!
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